Mae embarked on what was said to be their final tour back in 2010, but they simply couldn't stay apart for long. The band has reunited several times in the years since for various occasions, and now it seems they're finally back for good. The impetus for the latest return is the 10th anniversary of their fan favorite concept album, The Everglow.

The band's classic line-up - vocalist/guitarist Dave Elkins, keyboardist Rob Sweitzer, guitarist Zach Gehring, bassist Mark Padgett and drummer Jacob Marshall - recently completed a northeast trek in which they performed the record in its entirety. Rather than a tour package, they allowed local bands to open each show. The final stop on the first leg took place at The Palladium in Worcester, MA on January 9th.

Sipping from steaming mug of tea, Elkins told the audience that he could barely speak before stepping on stage. He sounded a little strained at times, but otherwise you'd never know he was losing his voice. (I've heard plenty of singers sound much worse with no excuse.) He went on to sing for close to 2 straight hours, and the admirably-sized crowd was happy to help him out when needed.

The group opened with three tracks from other efforts: "I Just Needed You to Know," "Embers and Envelopes" and "Reflections." Then "The Prologue" welcomed the audience to The Everglow. The band embraced a fuller sound in the live setting, turning a mellow album in a full-on rock show. This was made evident when the piano-driven opener, "We're So Far Away," became a full-band affair, and it carried on throughout the hour-plus album.

Following the extended jam to end "The Sun and the Moon" and The Everglow's "Epilogue," the band returned for an encore made up of "Tisbury Lane," "Summertime" and "A Melody, the Memory." The latter struck me as a strange choice for closer, considering the fans' delight in hearing the other two tracks would have made either one a higher note to end on, but everyone went home happy either way.

The Everglow 10th anniversary tour seems to be have rejuvenated Mae. While they have always been open to playing together again, they're officially working on new material now. Elkins told the audience that they would be taking the anniversary tour around the country later in the year and hope to have new music out before 2015 is over.

Mae setlist

Bloom
Embers and Envelopes
Reflections
-----
Prologue
We're So Far Away
Someone Else's Arms
Suspension
This Is the Countdown
Painless
The Ocean
Breakdown
Mistakes We Knew We Were Making
Cover Me
The Everglow
Ready and Waiting to Fall
Anything
The Sun and the Moon
Epilogue
-----
Tisbury Lane
Summertime
A Melody, the Memory

A Slipknot/Korn double bill would be a dream tour circa 1999, but even 15 years later it's still an exciting pairing. Slipknot just put out their best work in a decade, .5: The Gray Chapter, and Korn impressed me on the Mayhem Festival this summer. The December 7th show at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, MA was the last date of their "Prepare for Hell" tour, but neither band showed any wear after more than a month on the road.

Slipknot took the stage - equipped with new masks to accompany the new album - with "XIX" as their entrance music. Next came the desolate opening notes of "Sarcastrophe," and when the song kicked in, so did the 9 members of Iowa's finest export. The stage was set-up like a satanic circus big top; apropos for the wild, pyro-filled environment. At any given moment, a stray member of the band could fly by you - even in the stands. You might expect the chaos unfolding on stage to cause a sacrifice in musicianship, but the band comes together in unison like a nine-headed monster.

They made no mention of the new members, nor their late bassist Paul Gray. (I was expecting to hear "Skeptic" in tribute to him.) The secret is out that drummer Jay Weinberg (ex-Against Me!) and bassist Alessandro Venturella (Krokodil) have joined the fold as unofficial members. Former drummer Joey Jordison is one of the genre's best, but Weinberg held his own on the old material. Venturella seemed designated to stay toward the back of the stage, but he served his purpose.

Slipknot could fill their entire 90-minute entire set with singles, but instead they forwent some of them in favor of deep cuts like "Eeyore" and "Purity." They even skipped their first single, "Wait and Bleed," which has previously been a staple. They still delivered the rest of the hits, including "Spit It Out," "Left Behind," "Duality" and the recently Grammy-nominated "The Negative One." Their encore was made up of three of their hardest-hitting - both in terms of heaviness and fan reaction - cuts: "(sic)," "People = Shit" and "Surfacing."

Korn's debut album turned 20 this year, and the band still rocks it like they did in '94. Although their music may be dated, they sound as good as ever. Their setlist was similar to the one they played at Mayhem Festival. It was heavy on older material, which went over well with the crowd, including such hits as "Freak on a Leash," "Here to Stay" and "Got the Life." Per usual, vocalist Jonathan Davis came out with his bagpipes for "Shoots and Ladders," but at the end of the song, the band segued into a brief section of Metallica's "One.' They closed with their first single, "Blind."

Slipknot's Roadrunner Records labelmates King 810 were selected as openers for the tour. The band was founded by former Chiodos guitarist Jason Hale, but he has since parted ways. They wear their hometown of Flint, MI - dubbed Murdertown - with pride. Their tough guy gimmick is tired, their music is unappealing, the stage was so dark you could barely see them, and the crowd was tepid - but I will say they had decent energy. It's not for me, but they probably made a lot of new fans on this tour.

Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor didn't hesitate to call "Prepare for Hell" one of the best tours of the band's career. It says a lot that both Slipknot and Korn are still going strong, releasing interesting material and putting on such strong performances 15+ years later. The thousands of fans in attendance clearly loved it, and the late Gray would be proud to see his brothers carrying on his legacy with such reverence.

Slipknot setlist

Sarcastrophe
The Heretic Anthem
My Plague
The Devil in I
Psychosocial
The Negative One
Eeyore
Liberate
Frail Limb Nursery
Purity
Before I Forget
Duality
Left Behind
Spit It Out
Custer
----------
(sic)
People = Shit
Surfacing

Korn setlist

Twist
Here to Stay
Right Now
Love & Meth
Good God
Falling Away from Me
Hater
Shoots and Ladders
Got the Life
Freak on a Leash
Blind

With the popularity of full album tours, it was only a matter of time until bands started teaming up for such outings. But I never expected the first one to be such a 1-2 knockout as Say Anything and Saves the Day. The former is celebrating the 10th anniversary of their landmark album, ...Is a Real Boy, while the latter commemorates 15 years of their influential sophomore effort, Through Being Cool. Adding Reggie and the Full Effect as support was icing on the pop-punk-ish cake.

I've had the pleasure of seeing Say Anything more than a handful of times over the past decade, but I've never seen mastermind Max Bemis so invigorated, so confident, so happy to be on stage as he was at The Palladium in Worcester, MA on November 30th. His excitement was matched only by that of the crowd, who were eager to hear his modern masterpiece in its entirety. And the set began with a song of rebellion...

Bridges seems to be fitting in particularly well. He and Bemis have already developed a wonderful on-stage chemistry. Then again, I'd bet that Bridges's infectious energy and swagger could create synergism with anyone. From sliding across the stage on his knees to jumping off amplifiers, his showmanship is straight out of a larger-than-life '80s rock show - and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible.

Angst may be the cornerstone of ...Is a Real Boy, but the album also seems to have been scientifically engineered for cathartic singalongs. And that's just what the audience did (despite the fact that half of them looked like they were around 8 when the album came out). From the call-and-response of opener "Belt" to the climax of fan favorite "Admit It!!!," no song went unsung. Several times, Bemis could be seen removing his in-ear monitor to hear the capacity crowd shout back the words he wrote more than 10 years ago.

Typically, I much prefer to hear an album from front to back on these types of tours, but it was undeniably more effective for Say Anything to stop short after 10 of the effort's 11 cuts. Bemis and company transitioned into three tracks from ...Was a Real Boy ("Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too," "Little Girls," "Most Beautiful Plague") before returning to conclude with "Admit It!!!" After the music stopped, Bemis went down to the crowd to high five and hug the troopers in the front row.

Saves the Day is probably one of the hardest-working bands of their stature, so it was nice to see them reflect on their accomplishments by revisiting Through Being Cool. It's arguably one of the most influential pop-punk albums of all time (and one of my personal favorites), so it was a bit disheartening to see the younger portion of the audience largely unfamiliar with the material. The band did not let it effect them, however.

Vocalist/guitarist Chris Conley barely said a word to the crowd throughout their set, instead burning through as much material as possible. They plowed through the album in a little over a half hour, leaving them another 35 minutes to play 10 more songs. In between such classics as "At Your Funeral," "Jessie & My Whetstone" and "Anywhere with You," they found time for some jam sessions to keep things fresh.

The band's traverse through 15 years of music was impressively seamless. Conley's voice has noticeably changed over the years, as have the musicians surrounding him, but their set was a reminder that Saves the Day are as strong as ever. They closed with "Sell My Old Clothes, I'm Off to Heaven," which brought an army of crowd surfers to the front of the venue.

To kick off the night, Reggie and the Full Effect frontman James Dewees casually walked on stage in a full Santa costume with a PBR in hand, followed by his backing band - the members of Pentimento - dressed as elves. Reggie was billed as performing 2003's Under the Tray in its entirety, and while the majority of the setlist drew from it, they skipped around a few times. Most of the audience seemed unphased, but it was a curious change of plans.

After playing the frivolous yet undeniably catchy "F.O.O.D.," Dewees addressed the nonbelievers: "Reggie is a weird band if you a never seen us. These are all the songs I brought to The Get-Up Kids and they said no." As if the crowd needed further proof, Dewees ended the set by stripping down to an ill-fitting "sexy" cop outfit and performing "Love Reality" as his British alter-ego, Fluxuation.

Some of these anniversary shows offer little more than a shot of nostalgia, but Say Anything and Saves the Day provided much more than that. The show gave fans - and, I'd surmise, the musicians themselves - a refreshing reminder of just how profound an impact these bands have had on countless people.

Say Anything setlist

Belt
Woe
The Writhing South
Alive With the Glory of Love
Yellow Cat (Slash) Red Cat
The Futile
Spidersong
An Orgy of Critics
Every Man Has a Molly
Slowly, Through a Vector
Chia-Like, I Shall Grow
I Want To Know Your Plans
Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too
Little Girls
Most Beautiful Plague
Admit It!!!

Saves the Day setlist

All-Star Me
You Vandal
Shoulder to the Wheel
Rocks Tonic Juice Magic
Holly Hox, Forget Me Nots
Third Engine
My Sweet Fracture
The Vast Spoils of America (From the Badlands Through the Ocean)
The Last Lie I Told
Do You Know What I Love the Most?
Through Being Cool
Banned From the Back Porch
-----
At Your Funeral
A Drag in D Flat
Jessie & My Whetstone
Anywhere With You
Freakish
Firefly
Jukebox Breakdown
Always Ten Feet Tall
This Is Not an Exit
Sell My Old Clothes, I'm Off to Heaven

Marking the 30th anniversary of GWAR, 2014 should have been a landmark year for the cult band. Instead, it will forever be remembered for its tragedy: frontman Dave Brockie - better known as his GWAR alter ego Oderus Urungus - passed away in March.

The loss of a vocalist and, even more so, the death of a member are difficult hurdles for any band to overcome, but I don't think it was ever a question if GWAR would continue without Brockie. Although he was a constant creative force behind the group, they have always acted as a collaborative effort of revolving artists. More importantly, Brockie undoubtedly would have wanted his friends to carry on in his absence.

And carry on they are. They're currently paying tribute to Brockie on the GWAR Eternal Tour, their first trek without their fallen brother. I had the pleasure of witnessing the madness at the October 18th stop at Worcester, MA's Palladium, which was held in conjunction with the Rock and Shock horror convention.

Using video footage (via a "magic mirror"), late front-thing Oderus joined the band to perform their opening number, "Fly Now." Following that, and an expectedly-convoluted story about Oderus' disappearance involving time travel, an array of monsters joined the smoke-covered, colorfully-lit stage to sing with the band.

Chief among them was Blothar, a stout, armored creature portrayed by Michael Bishop (who was the original Beefcake the Mighty dating back to '87). Blothar was joined by Vulvatron - clothing designer Kim Dylla - a busty alien from the future. She's billed as the band's co-vocalist but her duties consisted more of back-ups than leads.

Guitarist Pustulus Maximus and bassist Beefcake the Mighty each sang a song as well (Beefcake's "Hate Love Songs" is one of the most fun tracks in the band's lengthy catalog), as did the group's enemies, Bone Snapper and Sawborg Destructo.

GWAR simply isn't the same without the charismatic Oderus leading the charge. The other members are fully aware of this fact, so they're doing everything in their power to spruce up their already-legendary live show. Oderus' Cuttlefish of Cthulhu (read: giant, prosthetic penis) even made an appearance.

The are two general rules of thumb at a GWAR show. 1. Anything that can shoot blood or green bile will. 2. Anything that can't will too. The new members abide by these sandards; Blothar is equipped with blood-spraying udders, while Vulvatron spurts gore from her cartoonishly-large breasts - all much to the audience's satisfaction.

It was strange to see GWAR without hearing the anthemic "Sick of You," with which they typically end their set, but the band used their encore to hail Orderus once again. First, they played "The Road Behind" - the closest thing the band has ever come to writing a ballad. They followed it up with a cover of what they dubbed the "worst song ever," Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls," which segued into their take on The Jim Carrol Band's "People Who Died."

Brooklyn metal mainstays Life of Agony provided direct support for the band on this particular date. They opened with the explosive "River Runs Red," the title track from their classic 1993 debut album (which you might recognize from The Office), and carried on for nearly an hour. It's no surprise how tight they are; they've been at it for more than 20 years. Despite their experience, they still manage to sound fresh. Their live show is even heavier than on record, and vocalist Mina Caputo sounds great.

This concert was part of Rock and Shock, an annual horror convention at which GWAR has performed many times. At the nearby DCU Center, fans could meet such iconic actors as Brad Dourif (Child's Play), John Ratzenberger (Cheers), Roddy Piper (They Live) and Sid Haig (The Devil’s Rejects), among many others, and attend panels, film screenings, seminars and more. All of that, plus a GWAR show? I was in heaven. You can read my full thoughts on the convention over at Broke Horror Fan.

The members of GWAR are paying tribute to Brockie the only way they know how: a killer rock show. Filled with monsters, metal and mayhem, it's exactly what he would have wanted. If you have the chance, support GWAR, the Slave Pit and Brockie's legacy by attending this tour. There's never a dull moment at a GWAR show - an understatement if there ever was one - but this one feels particularly special.

The Wonder Years could tour with anyone and their rabid fans would still flock to see them, but the band always seems have their finger on the pulse of the scene, bringing along some of their most promising peers and up-and-comers. Continuing that trend, their latest run includes support from The Story So Far and Modern Baseball. I caught the third date of the tour on October 3 at Lupo's in Providence, RI.

I've written about The Wonder Years so many times over the past 5+ years, but they never cease to amaze me. Not only are they excellent on record, but their live show takes their songs to a new level; they embody the perfect balance between high energy and strong musicianship. Vocalist Dan "Soupy" Campbell leads the group and their loyal fans on an hour-long roller coaster of a performance.

Per usual, their setlist was well-rounded enough to satisfy fans seeing them for the first time as well as longtime supporters who may have caught them six months prior on The Greatest Generation World Tour. The band pulled out a track from The Greatest Generation they had only played live once before ("We Could Die Like This") as well as an old favorite ("Won't Be Pathetic Forever").

They're also playing The Upsides B-side "Leavenhouse. 11:30" for the first time on this tour. It's always exciting to hear a rarity, but it was particularly appropriate in Providence, since the song references "Last Chance Rhode Island." Campbell commented that the band members weren't sure enough people would be familiar with the song, but the crowd happily quelled their concerns.

Of course, the performance also included plenty of hits and fan favorites. Songs like "Dismantling Summer," "Washington Square Park," "Melrose Diner" and "Came Out Swinging" got a huge response as expected. "The Devil in My Bloodstream" was another highlight; its mid-track crescendo is even more explosive in a live setting with audience accompaniment.

Unfortunately, the night ended on a scary note. With a couple of minutes left in their 8-minute encore song "I Just Want to Sell Out My Funeral," a girl in the crowd had a seizure and passed out. I must commend the Lupo's staff, the band and the audience for all responding quickly and respectfully. As soon as Campbell noticed what was going on, he stopped his bandmates and made sure the girl was escorted out safely while the crowd made room. I'm happy to hear that the girl is reportedly fine now.

The Story So Far was a perfect choice for direct support; they share a majority of fans with The Wonder Years, but they'll likely be exposed to some folks who hadn't checked them out previously. The crowd was nearly as rambunctious as they were for The Wonder Years, with an insane amount of crowd surfing throughout the 45-minute duration. Their setlist sadly lacked "Mt. Diablo" but otherwise hit all of the highlights from their two full-lengths, What You Don't See and Under Soil and Dirt, as well as "680 South" from an earlier split.

Much like when they opened for The Wonder Years in the spring, Modern Baseball received a sizable response from the crowd despite playing early on the bill. Their last two songs, "The Weekend" and "Your Graduation," in particular set the audience off. If they keep building on this momentum, they could be headlining venues this size in a year's time. And, frankly, they deserve it.

Tour openers Gnarwolves had trouble getting into the country from their native England, so Elder Brother filled in on the first three dates. Featuring The Story So Far guitarist Kevin Geyer and Daybreaker vocalist/guitarist Dan Rose, it's no surprise Elder Brother is good. They were noticeably more mellow than the subsequent acts, but they definitely made a lot of new fans that night. The Wonder Years tour manager John James Ryan Jr. joined them on saxophone for their closer, "Heavy Head."

Thankfully, the night's melancholy ending was handled well and therefore was not enough to deter from the otherwise excellent show. It was an evening of exponentially escalating crowd reactions, culminating with an explosive-as-always performance by The Wonder Years. Whether you've seen the band 10 times or never before, I recommend hitting up this tour when it rolls through your town.

The Wonder Years

Dismantling Summer
Don't Let Me Cave In
There, There
Passing Through a Screen Door
We Could Die Like This
Washington Square Park
I Won't Say the Lord's Prayer
Melrose Diner
Won't Be Pathetic Forever
Leavenhouse. 11:30
Local Man Ruins Everything
It's Never Sunny in South Philadelphia
The Devil in My Bloodstream
Came Out Swinging
-----
I Just Want to Sell Out My Funeral

For the last decade, Fenway Park - home of the Boston Red Sox - has hosted concerts from some of the biggest names in music. Artists such as Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and The Police have performed inside the iconic stadium. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers joined that esteemed list when they took the stage on August 30, 2014.

Petty told the audience that they were going to try to hit every album with an "industrial-length rock show." The band's two-hour set came pretty close to reaching that goal, ranging from 1976's self-titled debut to their brand-new effort, Hypnotic Eye. The new material melded seamlessly with the many fan favorites from their back catalog.

Petty graciously introduced his bandmates - guitarist Mike Campbell, bassist Ron Blair, keyboardist Benmont Trench, guitarist/synth player Scott Thurston and drummer Steve Ferrone - as "the closed thing I've got to family." It's an undeniably impressive collection of talented musicians, and the fact that they've stayed together for so long is even more remarkable. (Petty joking referred to Ferrone is the "new guy" as he celebrates his 20th year with the group.)

In addition to the expected hits and new tracks, Petty rewarded diehard fans with a couple of curveballs in the song selection. Right out of the gate, the band opened with a cover of The Byrds' "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star." Mid-set, Petty strapped on his acoustic guitar for several songs, including a track he called one of his favorites: "Angel Dream (No. 2)" from their She's the One soundtrack.

The band left the stage for several moments following a rousing rendition of "Runnin' Down a Dream," but the crowd's applause never died down. The Heartbreakers triumphantly returned for an encore consisting of "Don't Come Around Here No More," "You Wreck Me" and "American Girl." Before the closer, Petty reminisced about Boston being the first city to give their debut single radio attention back in 1976. The show ended with a bang as red, white and blue fireworks burst over the stage.

Steve Winwood opened the show with an hour-long set that drew from all of his past projects - The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith and Go - along with his solo career, plus a cover of Buddy Miles' "Them Changes." Winwood is quite a talent himself, alternating between guitar, piano and organ, all while singing. He has surrounded himself with equally-talented bandmates. Guitarist Jose Neto's unique style particularly stood out, as he utilized a lot of finger picking. Multi-instrumentalist Paul Booth also drew attention when played both the saxophone and the clarinet at once.

Watching Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers perform at such a historic venue was a magical experience. Much like going to see a Red Sox game, the crowd at Fenway Park spanned multiple generations - which says a lot about Petty's longevity. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have aged like a fine wine.

Tom Petty setlist

So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star (The Byrds cover)
Mary Jane's Last Dance
American Dream Plan B
Into the Great Wide Open
Forgotten Man
I Won't Back Down
Free Fallin'
A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)
U Get Me High
Rebels
Angel Dream (No. 2)
Yer So Bad
Learning to Fly
Shadow People
I Should Have Known It
Refugee
Runnin' Down a Dream
-----
Don't Come Around Here No More
You Wreck Me
American Girl

Avenged Sevenfold's entrance to the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA on July 22nd could have been mistaken for something out of a Dracula film. The stage was set up like a gothic castle, complete with a giant, sword-wielding skeleton king sitting atop a throne that overlooked the entire amphitheater. The band members took the stage in low, moody light as fog lingered near the ground; several of them carried chalices.

With a loud explosion, the Huntington Beach, CA quintet kicked into the aptly-titled "Shepherd of Fire," the lead track from their latest effort, 2013's chart-topping Hail to the King. It was instantly obvious why they were chosen to headline the 2014 installment of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.They know how to work a crowd, reminiscent of a larger-than-life '80s rock band in their prime.

It's hard to believe that it's already been five years since the death of the band's original drummer, James "The Rev" Sullivan. The band continues to dedicate a song to their fallen friend every night. They played the ballad "So Far Away," requesting that the audience hold their lighters and cell phones in the air in The Rev's honor. The crowd respectfully obliged.

For me, the highlight of their set was seeing them play "Eternal Rest" and the set-closing "Unholy Confessions" from 2003's Waking the Fallen. The band has changed quite a bit since then, shifting from metalcore to more accessible hard rock, so it was nice to see that they haven't forgotten their roots.

2014 marks Korn's second time co-headlining Mayhem, the first being back in 2010. I had never seen the nu metal stalwarts before, but they left me impressed with their energy considering how long they've been at it. The band's seamlessly shifting between tracks from their 1994 self-titled debut to last year's The Paradigm Shift and everything in between.

Of course, it was the classics that got the fans going. They went wild when frontman JD brought out his bagpipes, knowing the crushing "Shoots and Ladders" was imminent. Other highlights included "Freak on a Leash," "Falling Away from Me" and "Here to Stay." They closed the set with the song that started it all, "Blind," during which three of the band member's children came onto the stage and headbanged with their parents.

The main stage also boasted performances from Asking Alexandria, whose brand of metalcore was well received by the younger attendees, and Trivium, who worship Metallica with the best of them. Long before that, however, the parking lot was bustling with three other stages: the Coldcock American Herbal Whiskey Stage, the Sumerian Records/Headbang for the Highway Stage and the Victory Records Stage.

The biggest buzz came from Body Count, the rap-metal crossover group fronted by hip-hop icon Ice-T. Ice-T - these days a household name who is perhaps better known for his acting career than his music - certainly doesn't need to be doing this, but he's there for the love of it. He even brought his son, Ice Morrow, on tour to perform backing vocals. Most of the crowd seemed to go to the set purely out of curiosity, but it didn't take long for them to get roped in by Ice's showmanship.

The band closed with "Cop Killer," which stirred a huge controversy upon its initial release in 1992. It may seem more innocent all these years later, especially given Ice's well-known role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, but he made it clear that he stands by its message of protest against police brutality. During the song's "Fuck the police" bridge, Ice added: "I play one on TV. They can suck my dick!"

As if you needed another reason to love Ice, he and his son went directly from their set to the neighboring stage to watch legendary death metallers Cannibal Corpse perform. Ice even attempted - futile as it may have been - to keep up with vocalist's George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher's boundless headbanging. Fisher dedicated a song to him: "This song is for Ice-T. It's about shooting blood from your cock. 'I Cum Blood.'"

The award for most entertaining set of the day goes to Mushroomhead. The band crammed a whopping nine performers - including three vocalists - onto the stage, each one donning a monstrous mask more horrific than the last. With members running rampant all over the stage (and often crowd), the chaos was reminiscent of a smaller scale Slipknot show but with a stronger emphasis on theatrics. Even if their industrial metal sound isn't your style, their live show is something to behold.

Suicide Silence suffered the tragic death of their vocalist, Mitch Lucker, in 2012, but his replacement, Eddie Hermida (ex-All Shall Perish), is doing a fine job keeping the legacy alive. Miss May I seem to feel more at home on Mayhem than the did at Warped Tour in the past. Darkest Hour were on point as always. Islander's intense sound and stage presence brought to mind Deftones, Glassjaw and Rage Against the Machine.

While the line-up wasn't quite as strong as it has been the in pastyears, if you ask me, the 2014 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival offers plenty of highlights. The festival is also very supportive of the troops; before Korn took the stage, a local veteran was brought on stage, honored by the crowd, and award a guitar for her service. You can't beat a day full of metal packed into one affordable ticket price.

Avenged Sevenfold setlist

Shepherd of Fire
Nightmare
Bat Country
Hail to the King
Almost Easy
Buried Alive
So Far Away
Afterlife
Eternal Rest
-----
A Little Piece of Heaven
Unholy Confessions

Korn setlist

Falling Away from Me
Twist
Got the Life
Did My Time
Spike in My Veins
Hater
Shoots and Ladders
Coming Undone
Here to Stay
Never Never
Freak on a Leash
Blind

The Vans Warped Tour celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and a lot has changed in those two decades. One thing that has been consistent for the last several years is people complaining about the line-up. While it's undeniable that the tour's focus has shifted, the adaptation is an easy one to make. As with past years, the 2014 roster boats plenty of old favorites in addition to today's hot acts and up-and-comers.

I went the Mansfield, MA stop at the Xfinity Center on July 10, 2014, where I ended up catching only portions of many sets because where was simply too many good bands playing. Even still, I missed several acts I wanted to see - but there's always next year.

I had heard positive buzz about K.Flay from multiple artists on the tour, so I decided to check her out. Born Kristine Flaherty, K.Flay is a young, female rapper. She was accompanied by a drummer for a fuller live sound. She was among the first acts of the day, taking the Beatport stage at 11:15 in the morning. Many curious passers by couldn't help but stop as they entered the venue among the hordes of people. Like me, they did not leave disappointed.

Those "No Moshing/Crowd Surfing" signs - which made headlines when the tour began - were affixed to every stage, but the rules were not enforced. In fact, many people seemed to take it as a challenge. I first saw the mosh pits open up for The Ghost Inside, who took one of the two main stages at 11:40. (Vocalist Jonathan Vigil confessed to the crowd, "I just woke up a half hour ago.") The hardcore dancing did not stop there, as they were followed by The Devil Wears Prada on the adjacent stage.

Speaking of moshing, Every Time I Die kicked off the afternoon with an excellent set. They brought their main stage-quality material and audience to the slightly smaller Monster Stage. Similarly, UK pop-punk act Neck Deep have already built a sizable following here in the States, as evident by the crowd they brought to the Kevin Says Stage.

One of my favorite recent additions to the Warped Tour is the Acoustic Basement, which affords fans the opportunity to see intimate, acoustic performances from musicians both established and unknown. Bayside frontman Anthony Raneri packed the tent with a solo set before his band played later in the day. The guy is a workhorse; even performing twice a day for the whole tour, he never disappoints. Raneri even invited a fan on stage to propose to his girlfriend during his set.

Up next was Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties, the side project of The Wonder Years vocalist Dan "Soupy" Campbell. It was one of his first solo shows, but his years of fronting The Wonder Years have made him a natural performer. Campbell put a unique spin on the set by performing in character as his alter ego, the lonely Aaron West, introducing each song with a fictitious story behind it. His debut album, We Don't Have Each Other, was released only a couple days prior, so audience participation was minimal, but the crowd respectfully sat back and absorbed the enveloping performance.

I stuck around for a few songs from MxPx frontman Mike Herrera. MxPx recently celebrated their 22nd anniversary with an acoustic collection, so Herrera was happy to bust out the classics. I split early to see a couple of songs from Enter Shikari. Although the band's electronic-metalcore hybrid is not my cup of tea on record, I love their action-packed live show.

Regardless of how you feel about their music, Bowling For Soup has one of the most entertaining live shows you'll see on Warped Tour. They rarely tour these days, so I relished the opportunity to catch them on the main stage. Their setlist was mainly comprised of the hits along a cover of Fountains of Wayne's "Stacy's Mom," but it's their between-song banter that keeps me coming back. "We're the band that waves to people," vocalist/guitarist Jaret Reddick told the crowd. "Try to get Falling In Reverse to wave to you later." It's like getting a mini stand-up comedy show in the middle of a concert.

I caught several other classic bands in the afternoon. Yellowcard are as tight as ever. Less Than Jake proudly told the audience that they've played Warped Tour more than any other band since 1997, but they somehow have the same high level of energy. Saves the Day allowed tourmates Four Year Strong to pick that day's setlist, which was loaded with fan favorites. New drummer Dennis Wilson (ex-Every Avenue) seems to be fitting in just fine.

I was sadly only able to see a few songs from Heart To Heart, but it was perhaps the most passionate performance I witnessed all day. It was intense enough to encourage vocalist Nick Zoppo to subconsciously tear off his shirt Hulk Hogan style. ("I really liked that shirt," he confessed after the song. "I just bought it yesterday.") I strongly urge anyone attending Warped Tour to stop by their set.

Punk rock is alive and well on Warped Tour, as exemplified by Teenage Bottlerocket. The band is somewhat of a caricature of punk, flipping the audience off and calling them posers in between their infectious, bite-sized, Ramones-esque punk tunes. At the end of their set, they played a medley featuring Van Halen's "Panama" and the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" "for anyone over 30."

It must really be nice to be Four Year Strong right now. Following a panned album and a couple years off, they have regrouped and returned as strong as ever. Their homestate fans were eager to have their bearded brethren back. They displayed great intensity per usual, with co-vocalist/guitarist Alan Day making his way onto the barricade during opener "What the Hell is a Gigawatt?" to get closer to the crowd. Their set concluded with their irresistibly catchy summer anthem, "Wasting Time (Eternal Summer)."

Speaking of locals, I have to mention the Break Thru Music stage, which was exclusive to the Mansfield date. It hosted talented acts from the area all day, including Lions Lions (who carelessly toss their instruments as much as they play them), Traditions, Raindance, Actor Observer and Class of 92 (A Loss For Words vocalist Matty Arsenault's side project).

The Story So Far and Bayside both went on at 7:15, so I caught half of each band's set. The Story So Far brought a huge throng of enthusiastic fans. Singer Parker Cannon sounds great live, and thankfully there were no security issues. Bayside were in the amphitheater, but they certainly received a main stage-worthy reception from their fans. Raneri was just as impressive with his bandmates as he was solo.

I stayed in the amphitheater to watch some of Cute Is What We Aim For, an old guilty pleasure who seemingly fell off the face of the earth with Myspace. Frontman Shaant Hacikyan addressed the time away: "It's been seven years since we've been on this tour, and to be honest we didn't think this many people would show up." Much to the audience's satisfaction, they played a lot of old favorites.

As the sun was setting, I saw Close Your Eyes, who were one of the final acts of the day. It turned out to be among the most energetic performances I saw at the show, and it was a strong contender for most punk jumps during a set. I thought the cramped Ernie Ball Stage stage might collapse under the melodic hardcore band. They had a relatively small but loyal pocket of fans who waited the entire day to see them. Vocalist Sam Ryder Robinson spent closer "Song for the Broken" singing along with them from the barricade.

2014 signifies 20 years of the Vans Warped Tour, but every year is a celebration for Kevin Lyman and company. As always, they have compiled an impressive line-up of bands ranging from seasoned veterans to fresh faces and everyone in between.

Fall Out Boy took the stage at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA on June 22, 2014 - the third date of the Monumentour, their co-headlining run with Paramore - to the sound of Sylvester Stallone's monologue from Rocky Balboa. It was a fitting entrance; if anyone knows about getting hit and moving forward, it's Fall Out Boy. Since returning from their hiatus with a surprise album last year, the band has been rejuvenated.

Now, the Chicago quartet are playing some of the biggest shows of their career. They sounded massive in the huge amphitheater, yet their performance exhibited the same energy as when they played small clubs a decade ago - only now they're accompanied by pyrotechnics.

Since the tour is support of Save Rock and Roll, the setlist was made up of selections from the album and their past hits. I would have loved for more deep cuts, but I don't blame them going with the crowd pleasures for such a big tour. (As it was, a good portion of the audience seemed unfamiliar with the Take This To Your Grave material.)

Although the song selection was fairly predictable, the band mixed things up mid-set. First, vocalist/guitarist Patrick Stump and drummer Andy Hurley engaged in a drum off. Stump's solo showed some impressive chops for a frontman, but Hurley demonstrated while he's the one behind the kit. Meanwhile, bassist Pete Wentz and guitarist Joe Trohman made their way through the crowd, instruments and all, and up to the soundboard, where they remained to play "Dance Dance." As they made their way back to the stage, Stump kicked off "Young Volcanoes" acoustically.

The band invited Lolo (known for her guest spot on Panic! At The Disco's "Miss Jackson"), who also joined openers New Politics earlier in the night, onto the stage to accompany Stump on "Just One Yesterday." They also covered a portion of Queen's "We Are the Champions," which was "for the dads," as Wentz put it. Ultimately, group closed with "Saturday" as a shower of pyros rained down on them.

Fall Out Boy had big shoes to fill following Paramore's explosive performance. Vocalist Hayley Williams took the stage sporting a new teal hairdo as an explosion of streamers covered the eager crowd during opener "Still Into You." Williams was joined by her cohorts - guitarist Taylor York and bassist Jeremy Davis - on the stage, while longtime touring guitarists Jon Howard and Jutin York and recently recruited fill-in drummer Aaron Gillespie (of Underoath fame) sat atop a large platform above them.

"This is our tenth year as a band," Williams gushed. "I don't know how that happened." Despite the line-up changes and platinum status, Paramore is still the same band it was a decade ago. The stage may have grown exponentially, but everyone in the venue - from the pit to the cheap seats - felt like they were part of the show. A highlight of the set came when Williams picked a pair of sisters to join the band on stage to sing the bridge of "Misery Business" - and they nailed it.

While Fall Out Boy had pyro, Paramore's festive weapon of choice was confetti and streamers. During the rousing closer "Ain't It Fun," giant balloons emblazoned with the Paramore logo were batted into the audience. The band kicked them back and forth with the crowd with performing. After the song, the six musicians came together to take a bow for their adoring fans.

Danish trio New Politics opened the show. Vocalist David Boyd kicked off the set with a back flip, and his energy remained high for their half hour in the spotlight. Later in the set, he made his way on top of the crowd to sing. The group already has two hits with "Harlem" and "Yeah Yeah Yeah," along with a freshly-inked deal with Wentz' DCD2 Records, so this tour is an excellent way to expose fans to the rest of their material.

During Fall Out Boy's set, Wentz commented about how cool it is to have two rock bands with guitars that are played on the radio on tour together. Indeed, the Monumentour pairs two of our scene's biggest acts into one package. With dynamic, 75-minute sets from each band, fans of both are guaranteed to leave pleased. Maybe Save Rock and Roll was not, as naysayers purported, such a pretentious title after all.

Fall Out Boy setlist

The Phoenix
The Take Over, the Breaks Over
A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More "Touch Me"
This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
Alone Together
Death Valley
Sugar, We're Goin Down
Miss Missing You
Drum Solo
Dance, Dance
Young Volcanoes
Just One Yesterday (with Lolo)
Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
We Are the Champions (Queen cover)
Save Rock and Roll
I Don't Care
My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light 'Em Up)
Thnks fr th Mmrs
Saturday

Paramore setlist

Still Into You
That's What You Get
For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic
Ignorance
Pressure
Decode
The Only Exception
Last Hope
Born for This
Misery Business
Let the Flames Begin
Part II
Proof
Ain't It Fun

After an exciting Saturday at the Boston Calling Music Festival anchored by Death Cab for Cutie, I returned to Boston's City Hall Plaza on Sunday just in time to watch Built to Spill. The seminal indie rockers inspired several acts on the festival's bill; Death Cab, Brand New and Modest Mouse have all cited the band as an influence. Despite this, however, much of the audience seemed unfamiliar and, in some cases, disinterested. It was a rare Built to Spill set without any covers, not to mention next to no speaking, so the band relied solely on their blistering jams.

I hadn't listened to Phosphorescent prior to the festival, but the best word I could use to describe the set is "chill." The band is a solo project by Georgia singer-songwriter Matthew Houck, but the live line-up is rounded out by five additional musicians. It didn't do anything for me, but the sound is an interesting blend of dreamy indie rock and Willie Nelson-esque country.

Tegan and Sara perked up the audience with one of the weekend's many bright spots. The talented twins alternated between vocals, guitars and keys, while a backing band of other adequate musicians filled in the gaps. It was a tight performance relying primarily on material from last year's Heartthrob, although they weren't afraid to showcase a few older tunes ("Monday Monday Monday," "Living Room"). They ended on a high note with the explosive "Closer."

I know know a couple of Bastille's hits, but their set left me interested in hearing more. One of the few acts on the bill in which the singer wasn't tied down by an instrument, vocalist Dan Smith bounced around the stage (and, at one point, down on the barricade) throughout the set. I was also impressed by his voice, hitting the notes while expending that kind of energy. Smith stated that Boston Calling is one of the coolest places the band has ever played. Watching thousands of people jump up and down during the penultimate "Of the Night" was a sight to behold, topped only by the crowd singing the "eh-oh" of "Pompeii" in unison.

The flowers affixed to Brand New frontman Jesse Lacey's microphone stand were the only delicate part of the band's hour-long set. Lacey lead the menagerie with poised intensity. Guitarist Vincent Accardi is far and away the most animated of the group, perhaps growing even more frantic since his pop punk days. Bassist Garrett Tierney and drummer Brian Lane provided the tight low end. The quartet were joined by two other musicians who provided third guitar and supplemented percussion when needed.

Despite a fan holding up a sign asking the band to play "Seventy Times 7," they didn't even touch their debut, Your Favorite Weapon. Instead, the setlist pulled from their latter three albums. The three selections from Deja Entendu were adapted to "fit" their evolved sound: more feedback, fuzzy guitars, strained vocals. The set-ending "You Won't Know" transformed into a dizzying, 10-minute opus that culminated with Accardi carelessly tossing his guitar in the air before overturning his amplifier and exiting the stage.

Prior to Modest Mouse's set, the USAF Heritage of America Band performed the "The Star-Spangled Banner" in honor of Memorial Day; a touching tribute to those who serve our country. Modest Mouse then took the stage to conclude the festival. I'm only familiar with the band's singles, but I didn't realize just how many hits they had until hearing them all in a single performance. A high note came when the band caught the crowd off guard by playing their most well-known song, "Float On," unannounced in the middle of the set. The seven musicians (many of whom swapped out different instruments as necessary) managed to rejuvenate the exhausted audience after a weekend full of music.

In my review of the Boston Calling Music Festival's inaugural event, I praised its impressive set-up. In the year since, they have only refined the experience with an adapted layout while continuing to deliver strong line-ups. It's impossible not to love the simple, two-stage set-up; when one band finishes, the next one starts 5-10 minutes later. Boston has finally found its calling with its own big-time music festival. See you in the fall!

Modest Mouse setlist

Dark Center of the Universe
The World at Large
Paper Thin Walls
Dance Hall
Dashboard
Dramamine
Bukowski
This Devil's Workday
Be Brave
Trailer Trash
Float On
Fire It Up
Sugar Boats
Tiny Cities Made of Ashes
The View
Fly Trapped in a Jar
---
Cowboy Dan
Shit In Your Cut
Satin in a Coffin

Brand New setlist

Millstone
Sowing Season
Gasoline
You Stole
At the Bottom
Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't
Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades
I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light
Jesus
Degausser
You Won't Know

For its third event in two years, the Boston Calling Music Festival expanded to a three-day format. Although I missed Friday's opening night festivities (headlined by Jack Johnson), I made my way to City Hall Plaza in downtown Boston, MA for the second and third days of the event.

The first band I caught on Saturday was The Neighbourhood. The indie rockers brought their chill, California vibe to the east coast. (The festival's line-up seemed to be dominated by west coast acts, not that there's anything wrong with that.) The band recently returned from an international tour just a few days prior, but they showed no signs of jet lag as they warmed up the afternoon crowd.

Former Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis took the stage in a rainbow blazer and matching guitar that looked like they were designed by Lisa Frank. The blazer is actually from the artwork for her first solo album in six years, The Voyager, which is due out this summer. In addition to solo material new and old, she played a couple Rilo Kiley tracks (including "Silver Lining"). Lewis was accompanied by five other musicians for a rich, full sound. For the closing number, "Acid Tongue," the backing band doubled as a choir to accompany Lewis and her acoustic guitar.

Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls may have put on the best performance of Boston Calling. The pace was set immediately as they opened with "Photosynthesis," in which Turner wailed on his trusty acoustic and guitarist Ben Lloyd ripped a solo on the electric mandolin. It was Turner's 1,568th show, as he proudly told the audience, but his boundless energy (perhaps owed to his hardcore roots) made it feel one-of-a-kind.

It's often difficult for a band to connect with large festival crowds that may not be familiar with their music, but Turner did so with ease. With the audience gleefully singing and clapping along to its "There is no god!" chorus, "Glory Hallelujah" sounded like a ditty from an atheistic children's show. He brought a lucky fan on stage to play a harmonic solo on "Dan's Song," and later challenged the attendees to do jumping jacks during "Recovery." To end the set, Turner abandoned his guitar and introduced "Four Simple Words" as "a song about dancing" - and that's just what the audience did.

I wasn't familiar with the indie folk-rock stylings of The Head and The Heart, but the seven musicians who comprise the band - many of whom showcased their multi-instrumentalist talents - impressed me. There was even a successful wedding proposal during their set. Vocalist/guitarist Jonathan Russell also took the time to compliment the festival's simplicity, stating, "You should be proud of this."

Boston Calling marked The Decemberists' first show since 2011, but the performance certainly didn't show three years of rust. Unfortunately, it started raining just before they came on and continued to pour throughout their set, but the rain did not dampen the band's spirit - and a large portion of the crowd toughed it out with them. The 15-song setlist began with all three parts of "The Crane Wife" and lasted over an hour until the band ended with "June Hymn." They also announced that they are working on new music and played two new, as-yet-untitled songs, which are sure to please fans.

Death Cab for Cutie entered the stage shrouded in smoke and bathed in moody, red lights. They kicked off with the eight-and-half minute album version of "I Will Possess Your Heart," which frontman Ben Gibbard began on guitar before making his way to the piano. After wrapping the song up, he emerged front and center with his guitar, where he would remain for the rest of the set. Armed with two microphones (one equipped with vocal effects), Gibbard and company lead the crowd in 85 minutes of material.

Although no new songs were played, Gibbard assured the crowd that the band is hard at work on a new album. The set was filled with fan favorites; "Title and Registration" and "I Will Follow You into the Dark" received the loudest reactions. Gibbard performed the latter acoustically, and his vocals were nearly drowned out by the crowd. For "The Sound of Settling," Gibbard ditched his guitar and went onto the barricade to sing along with fans. The band exited the stage following the song but returned a moment later for an encore that included "Lightness," "A Movie Script Ending" and "Marching Bands of Manhattan" to end the night.

Read my review of Day 3 of the Boston Calling Music Festival, which featured Modest Mouse, Brand New and many more.

Death Cab for Cutie setlist

I Will Possess Your Heart
Crooked Teeth
Why You'd Want to Live Here
Title and Registration
Codes and Keys
Doors Unlocked and Open
Long Division
Grapevine Fires
I Will Follow You into the Dark
All Is Full of Love (Björk cover)
You Are a Tourist
The New Year
Cath...
Soul Meets Body
The Sound of Settling
-----
Lightness
A Movie Script Ending
Marching Bands of Manhattan

The 16th annual New England Metal & Hardcore Festival kicked off on Thursday, April 17th at its home base of The Palladium in Worcester, MA. Although the first day was a little light on the hardcore, it offered plenty of great metal. It particularly interested me because the line-up featured several notable metalcore bands I listened to in my formative years, including All That Remains, Bleeding Through, Darkest Hour and Scars of Tomorrow.

Being local favorites has found headliners All That Remains performing at about half of the Metal Fests over the years, and they continue to bring an excited crowd. Although the band largely transitioned away from Swedish-influenced metalcore to radio-ready hard rock (and, thus, now exist outside of my wheelhouse), they still put on a great show.

Vocalist Philip Labonte didn't speak much, but he commanded the crowd while singing. Meanwhile, lead guitarist Oli Herbert's virtuosity was as impressive as ever. The hour-long set included the Guitar Hero shredder "Six," the fan favorite "This Calling," the classic "This Darkened Heart," the power ballad "What If I Was Nothing" and the closing hit "Two Weeks."

All That Remains may have been the main draw, but I was most excited to see Bleeding Through. Despite being a longtime fan of the band and enjoying all of their output, I had never seen them before. It was bittersweet to catch them at their final east coast appearance before disbanding. Thankfully, they went out with a bang.

Although it may have been more exciting for fans if the band had played the second stage (a considerably more intimate, barricade-less room that the band has played several times throughout their career), the main stage afforded the band a wider audience and a more grandiose farewell. "Love Lost in a Hail of Gun Fire" (complete with the opening Boondock Saints sample) kicked off the 45-minute setlist, which spanned their career.

Frontman Brandan Schieppati took the opportunity to reflect on the band's 15-year lifespan, waxing poetic about the old days, calling out Trustkill Records president Josh Grabelle for ripping off bands and referring to The Truth as "our sellout record." Schieppati later gave an impassioned speech about how grateful he was for being able to follow his dream. He proceeded to thank his bandmates and the audience before concluding the set with "On Wings of Lead."

For a band that has been around as long as Darkest Hour - over 15 years now - they haven't lost a step. They've consistently put out strong material, as exemplified by their half-hour performance - which included a brand new track ("The Rapture in Exile") and closed with an older favorite ("With a Thousand Words to Say But One"). They were preceded by Oceano and Gideon, who were the first bands to really get the mosh pit going on the main stage.

Earlier in the day, the recently-reformed Scars of Tomorrow took to the stage. They may have been better suited for the second stage and/or later in the day, as the crowd seemed ill-prepared for their breakdowns, but the band did not let it effect their energy. They have a new album coming out this summer and previewed it with their brand new single, "Questions." The rest of their set was made up of older material, including the closer "The Horror of Realization."

I ventured up to the second stage for Wilson. If they could keep up with former tourmates Gwar, I knew their live show would be worth seeing. (It also worked out well because I did not have to watch Emmure, who were on the main stage at the same time.) Lively and loud, Wilson did not disappoint. They had a relatively small crowd, but they rocked it so hard you'd think they were playing to thousands. Reminiscent of Every Time I Die's thrashy, southern-fried hardcore stylings, Wilson is certainly a band to keep an eye on.

The rest of the weekend included Behemoth, Iced Earth, Whitechapel, The Acacia Strain, Nile, Slapshot, Nails, Ramallah and a reunion from Boston legends Sam Black Church, among many others. While I wouldn't call this line-up the strongest in recent memory, the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival continues to provide fans with a unique, comprehensive and versatile experience for fans of heavy music.

The Wonder Years' sold out show on April 15th began not with the typical bang, but with the whisper of "There, There." Frontman Dan "Soupy" Campbell - sporting a beard that would make Daniel Bryan proud - crooned the opening of the first track from the band's new album, The Greatest Generation, before being drowned out by the 2,000+ strong crowd at Worcester, MA's The Palladium.

"I'm sorry I don't laugh at the right times."

When the song kicked in, the band and the crowd alike lost it, beginning a 70-minute cathartic release set to some of the best pop-punk songs of the modern era. The Wonder Years have refined their craft both musically and on stage, while their draw has continued to grow exponentially over the years. They are one of the tightest live bands in the scene, achieving the perfect balance between high energy and strong musicianship.

As a longtime fan of the band, it would be hard to ask for a better setlist. The run - their first proper U.S. headliner in quite some time - is dubbed The Greatest Generation World Tour. They played several standout tracks from their latest effort, including "The Bastards, The Vultures, The Wolves," "The Devil in My Bloodstream" and "Dismantling Summer." They also played choice cuts from Suburbia and The Upsides. A highlight of the night came when the band, after an impassioned speech by Campbell about their meaning, played a pair of non-album tracks, "An Elegy for Baby Blue" and "I Was Scared and I'm Sorry."

Always one to end on a high note, the Philadelphia sextet concluded with an encore of "I Just Want to Sell Out My Funeral." The Greatest Generation's 7-and-a-half-minute closing opus interweaves lyrics and themes from other songs on the album, serving as a highlight real. In a live setting, the song hits even harder, providing the perfect bookend to the set.

The Wonder Years brought along a collection of bands they admire, which doubles as a veritable who's who of the current pop-punk scene. Their longtime friends and frequent tourmates in Fireworks provided direct support (replacing Defeater, who were forced to drop off due to a health issue). Although some fans evidently haven't had enough time to familiarize themselves with the band's brand new album, Oh, Common Life, the older material remained crowd pleasing. The set closing "Detroit," in particular, set the audience off.

It's rare for lower billed bands on a package tour to elicit such rambunctious crowd reactions, but Citizen, Real Friends and Modern Baseball were all well-received, to say the least. Although this tour is a great opportunity for each of them, many audience members were already familiar with the bands, displaying their approval with copious crowd surfing and singing along.

The Greatest Generation World Tour is yet another testament to why The Wonder Years are the gold standard for the genre. Between their honest songs, their tight stage presence, their rabid fanbase and even the bands they surround themselves with, The Wonder Years have set the bar impossibly high for any other band hoping to take the pop-punk throne.

The Wonder Years setlist

There, There
Passing Through a Screen Door
Local Man Ruins Everything
Cul-De-Sac
The Bastards, The Vultures, The Wolves
Everything I Own Fits in This Backpack
Washington Square Park
Coffee Eyes
The Devil in My Bloodstream
An Elegy for Baby Blue
I Was Scared and I'm Sorry
Dismantling Summer
Don't Let Me Cave In
Logan Circle
Came Out Swinging
-----
I Just Want to Sell Out My Funeral

Fireworks setlist

X's On Trees
Summer
Glowing Crosses
The Wild Bunch
One More Creature Dizzy With Love
Arrows
Teeth
Flies On Tape
Oh, Why Can't We Start Old and Get Younger
When We Stand On Each Other We Block Out The Sun
Detroit

Yellowcard celebrated last year's tenth anniversary of their breakthrough effort, Ocean Avenue, with a freshly-recorded acoustic rendition of the album, followed by a tour in which they performed the album acoustically. The run was a great success, and the band (and their fans) enjoyed it so much that they decided to go back and hit the markets the missed on the first leg.

Before kicking off their set on February 1 at Lupo's in Providence, RI, Yellowcard frontman Ryan Key outlined the "rules" the audience must abide by: have the best night of your life, sing along until you lose your voice and enjoy the show through your eyes rather than your phone.

Key and lead guitarist Ryan Mendez then launched into the instantly-recognizable - even on acoustic guitars - intro of "Way Away." The set offered a fresh perspective on the fan favorite album; although it was faithfully to the Ocean Avenue Acoustic recordings, which themselves weren't far removed from the source material. It wasn't a sit-down acoustic performance; it was a full-band rock show that happened to include acoustic guitars. Faster numbers "Life of a Salesman" and "Twentythree" even elicited mosh pits from the excitable crowd. One fan successfully proposed to his girlfriend during "One Year, Six Months."

The performance of Ocean Avenue clocked in at around an hour, and that alone was worth the price of admission - but the members of Yellowcard were far from finished. After a brief intermission (set to Explosions in the Sky!), the band returned to the stage with their trusty electric guitars. They proceeded to play for another 50 minutes of post-Ocean Avenue material, including "Always Summer," "Awakening," "For You, And Your Denial" and "The Takedown."

Key was genuinely grateful to have an audience respond to their music after all these years. He also revealed that the band will be working on a new album this year, in addition to announcing some exciting touring plans in the near future. Although Key claimed "Lights and Sounds" would be their final song, its conclusion was accompanied by a quick drum solo by the uber-talented Longineu W. Parsons III that segued into a spirited reprisal of "Ocean Avenue."

The tour's sole support slot was filled by What's Eating Gilbert, the side project of New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert. He and his formally-clad friends transported the crowd back to the '50s with their throwback doo-wop rock sound (although the cursing was anachronistic). The half hour set showcased material from the handful of EPs Gilbert released since the project's inception in 2010, along with covers of Betty Everett's "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" ("This song sets the moms off!" according to Gilbert) and Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman." Like Yellowcard, they played acoustically.

More than a decade after singing "I've made it this far now / And I'm not burning out" in "Way Away," Key and his bandmates are standing by those words. Yellowcard has run the gamut of highs and lows since Ocean Avenue's release; to see so many people continue to care after after all this time is further proof of the band's resiliency.

The holidays can be a hectic time, but what better way to release that seasonal stress than with a show? Bayside spread the Christmas cheer with a trio of holiday shows to close out 2013, culminating with a sold out performance at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA on December 29. They brought along Man Overboard, Banquets and Modern Baseball for the ride.

Bayside plowed through several songs before addressing the crowd. When they finally did introduce themselves, it was clear that they needed no introduction. There's a reason they say Bayside is a cult, after all. The band played at bigger venues the last few times they came through the area, so it was a treat for the sold out crowd of 933 to see them at the Paradise.

I'm not holding my breath for a Sirens and Condolences 10th anniversary tour next year, but I'm happy the band still pulls from it; this time it was "How to Fix Everything." On the other end of the spectrum, they played "Pigsty," the new single from their forthcoming sixth album, Cult, for only the second time. I was hoping to hear another new cut or two, as the record is great, but alas the band stuck to the tried-and-true favorites, such as "Devotion and Desire," "Montauk" and "Dualty." Much like they did when they supported Alkaline Trio earlier in the year, they closed with "Dear Tragedy," during which frontman Anthony Raneri sang without his signature Les Paul.

It seems that the Boston set was a few song shorter than the 2 other nights, lacking the acoustic "Don't Call Me Peanut" and the group's rendition of "O Holy Night," among others. No word on whether this was a scheduling blunder or what, but had I not read the previous setlists I would have been none the wiser. The hour-and-ten-minute set with its strong setlist was very satisfying.

Man Overboard provided direct support, and they brought plenty of fans eager to defend pop punk with them. The New Jersey quintet always deliver a fun set, with Boston always being receptive to them, and this was no exception. The band has released an impressive array of material in 5 short years, and their setlist drew from all of it. In addition to newer material, they played several older cuts - among them "The Real You," "I Ate My Gluestick," "Montrose" and the singalong favorite "Love Your Friends, Die Laughing" - before closing with "Where I Left You."

It seems that most of the audience members were new to Banquets, but that didn't stop either side from enjoying themselves. The band's sound bridges the gap between punk and rock, reminiscent of fellow New Jerseyans The Gaslight Anthem. They spent little time talking and focused more on rocking. The setlist drew largely from their self-titled effort, ending with the high-energy highlight, "Call It a Comeback."

Modern Baseball opened the show with a half hour set that included the majority of their fantastic debut album, Sports. They also threw in "Your Graduation," the first single from the upcoming You're Gonna Miss It All. Between the new album on Run For Cover Records and a highly coveted spot opening for The Wonder Years on the horizon, I expect Modern Baseball to be everywhere in 2014. The band received a warm reception from the crowd.

Bayside have a huge year ahead of them, with the release of Cult on February 18 and a headlining tour kicking off in March, so it only made sense for them to end 2013 in a big way. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better way to end the year than watching Bayside rock a sold out crowd with a great line-up in tow.